Researchers will share findings from the first surgical study using a novel, tumor-targeted fluorescent imaging agent designed to make lung cancer surgery more successful by improving the intraoperative visualization of tumors

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vergent Bioscience, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing tumor-targeted imaging agents, and its wholly owned subsidiary Vergent Bioscience Australia Pty Ltd, announced that new clinical data from a Phase 2 study of the company’s investigational agent VGT-309 will be presented at the 2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer (#WCLC23) hosted by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), taking place September 9-12, 2023, in Singapore.

“We’ve steadily advanced the VGT-309 clinical program and look forward to sharing the latest results from our Phase 2 study evaluating the safety, efficacy, and dosing of this novel compound,” said John Santini, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer at Vergent Bioscience. “VGT-309 has the potential to fill deficits in tumor visualization during surgery to optimize outcomes for patients.”

Early Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials evaluating VGT-309 in lung cancer yielded compelling safety and efficacy data that support the agent’s ability to help surgeons see difficult-to-find or previously undetected tumors in real-time, ensuring all tumor tissue is removed during minimally invasive (MIS) and robotic-assisted surgical procedures.

Following are details about the VGT-309 presentation at the 2023 WCLC:

Title: Results from a Phase II trial of a Tumor-Activated Fluorescent Molecule for the Intra-Operative Identification of Lung Cancer

Presenter: Professor Gavin M. Wright, Ph.D., director of Surgical Oncology, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia

Abstract/Session: #844; MA11.06 – New Technology and Innovations in Early-Stage Lung Cancer
Date/Time: 2:30 - 3:30 PM Singapore/2:30 – 3:30 AM ET, September 11, 2023

Location: Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, Room 405C

About VGT-309

VGT-309 is a tumor-targeted imaging agent designed to enable a complete solution for optimal tumor visualization during open, MIS, and robotic-assisted surgical procedures. VGT-309 is delivered to patients via a short infusion several hours before surgery. Invented in Professor Matt Bogyo’s Lab at Stanford University School of Medicine, the molecule binds tightly (i.e., covalently) to cathepsins, a family of proteases that are overexpressed across a broad range of solid tumors. This approach provides distinct clinical advantages and positions VGT-309 as an ideal tumor imaging agent. VGT-309’s imaging component is the near infrared (NIR) dye indocyanine green (ICG), which is compatible with all commercially available NIR intraoperative imaging systems that support MIS technologies and is the preferred dye to minimize confounding background autofluorescence.

About Vergent Bioscience

Vergent Bioscience is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that is helping surgeons realize the full potential of minimally invasive and robotic surgery by significantly improving the visibility of tumors. Vergent’s lead compound, VGT-309, is a tumor-targeted fluorescent imaging agent designed to enable surgeons to see difficult-to-find or previously undetected tumors in real-time during surgery, ensuring all tumor tissue is removed. The company is first evaluating VGT-309 for cancer in the lung, with the potential to expand its application to a wide range of solid tumors. Vergent Bioscience is a privately held company based in Minneapolis, MN. Vergent Bioscience Australia Pty Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vergent Bioscience. For more information, visit vergentbio.com

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Laura Morgan

Sam Brown, Inc.

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